Camping Trip
by SpockEatsCake2
Summary: A cute Latvia/Liechtenstein short story that I wrote in the heat of the moment.
1. Chapter 1

Latvia ran faster than his legs had ever carried him. He ran through the forest, tripping and stumbling over logs and rocks, swatting aside branches and leaping over the debris of the forest floor. He never once looked back; he didn't even stop to take a breath. He just kept running. He couldn't get caught by Russia again, not after seeing that look in his eyes.

He had to get away.

After what felt like several hours of running, Latvia collapsed on the ground, panting and gasping for air, crawling under a bush and waiting. He tried to quiet himself, putting his hand over his mouth, listening for any sound of pursuit. After several minutes, he relaxed slightly and panted, trying not to cry or shake, but there was no stopping the tears. As quietly as he could, Latvia sobbed under the shelter of the bush, waiting for dawn to come.

Liechtenstein waited for her brother to wake up.

She sat patiently at the kitchen table and hummed quietly, lightly swinging her legs back and forth under her chair. Today, Switzerland was going to take her camping, and she was extremely excited, even if it didn't show.

Her brother had made many promises of a camping trip before, but somehow, they always had to be canceled or postponed. She didn't mind, though. She was just glad she could spend time with her brother.

After a while, Switzerland appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, fully dressed, hair neatly combed. He was slightly surprised to see Liechtenstein waiting for him, but it had been expected from her. He knew she was looking forward to the trip.

"Good morning, brother~," Liechtenstein trilled. "Did you sleep well?"

Switzerland nodded as he started to prepare breakfast for the both of them. "Yes. Did you sleep well?"

The smaller nation nodded, swinging her legs a bit faster until her brother set her food down on the table in front of her, taking a seat with his just across. She ate her food quickly, but didn't rush, as that would be rude, and Switzerland ate his at his own pace, too.

"Are you looking forward to our trip?" He asked before taking a bite.

"Yes, I am. Thank you for taking me on a trip in the first place, brother."

Switzerland nodded as he finished his meal. "Of course, I'm looking forward to it as well." He stood up, taking in his sister's empty plate as well.

Standing up from the table, Liechtenstein helped her brother with the dishes, drying them with a towel and setting them on the rack. When they were done, Switzerland packed all of the gear into a sack, filling a separate, smaller sack with some food and blankets. Liechtenstein helped him any way she could, preparing the food, fetching things from the shed, and rolling up the blankets tightly before packing them.

After several minutes, they were finally done. Switzerland gave the smaller pack to his sister, and they both put on their boots and stepped outside into the morning air.

Liechtenstein admired the sunrise for a moment before looking at her brother. "It's a very beautiful morning, brother, perfect for camping, right?"

Switzerland looked back at her and nodded, smiling slightly. "Yes, it's perfect for an outdoor trip. Let's get going, then." He started to walk into the forest, Liechtenstein following closely behind.

A couple of hours passed, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein stopped for lunch and a few breaks every now and then, sitting quietly and admiring the beauty of the forest. Birds sang from the branches, every now and then a squirrel or mouse would appear in the brush, and then disappear again. The sunlight filtered through the branches above them, creating breathtaking patterns and shapes on the forest floor. The late spring scents and sounds flooded the forest, creating an image of paradise on earth. It truly was beautiful.

"Brother, may I look around for a bit?" Liechtenstein looked at her brother over her shoulder, who was kneeling on the ground, pounding the wedges for the tent into the ground. They weren't staying all night, but it was nice to have a bit of shelter.

Switzerland nodded. "Be careful not to get lost, though."

"I'll be careful," she chimed as she strolled away from her brother, humming softly and gazing up at the trees.

Latvia woke up feeling groggy and weak, still lying under the bush. Blinking dazedly, he reached up with a hand and brushed away a few leaves that were on his face and clothes. Almost instantly he felt pain stab his shoulder and he winced, remembering last night…

*SNAP*

Latvia froze, silenced by the sound of a twig snapping. He looked around warily, barely moving a muscle, when he heard another noise. A hum. Latvia heard a humming noise, and he instantly panicked. It sounded like a person! What if it was Russia! He had to get out of there!

Disoriented and terrified, Latvia reached for his gun at his belt, only to find it wasn't there. He cursed silently, remembering he had lost it, and wishing he had some sort of weapon…

His gaze wandered over a sharp stone lying next to his hip, and he picked it up and held it to his chest. It was small and crude, but it would have to do. He gulped as he waited, and the humming noise drew closer and closer…


	2. Chapter 2

Liechtenstein wandered around a great oak tree, gazing up at the high-reaching branches, smiling slightly. Suddenly, she heard a strange noise. She quickly turned her head and looked in the direction the noise had come from. It had almost sounded like…

_A person._

Liechtenstein quickly pressed herself against the tree, peeking around the corner, looking for any signs of life. She heard it again. It was definitely a person. It sounded like they were coughing, or crying…

A flicker of movement caught her eye, something underneath a bush a few feet away. It was like a shift of red, much bigger than any animal in those woods. She briefly wondered about going to get her brother, and she turned quietly and started to walk away.

The figure started whimpering, speaking quietly. "W-W-Who's there!" the voice whispered, and Liechtenstein stopped, faintly recognizing the voice. Looking back, she started to make out the shape of a human body, wearing a seemingly red uniform with blond hair. She hesitated, then, as quietly as possible, walked out from behind the tree, into plain view.

The figure gasped and spoke louder. "W-W-W-Who's that? R-Russia…!" Whoever it was sounded terrified, so Liechtenstein stopped and whispered, "No. It's me."

The voice panted quietly for a moment, and then they whispered, "L-Liechten…? I-Is that you…?"

Positive that the figure was Latvia, Liechtenstein made her way over to the bush, kneeling down. "Latvia? What are you doing here?" She pushed aside a few of the branches, then stopped, eyes widening. Latvia's uniform was red not from the fabric, but from splatters and stains of dark blood, especially over his left shoulder. His face and uniform were scratched and dirty, and there were patches of skin showing through giant tears in his uniform. He had one eye closed, the other slightly open and blinking wildly.

"…Latvia…" Liechtenstein whispered. "…Russia…?"

The country gulped, and then nodded slowly. "E-Estonia was getting hurt, I-I tried to help…I-I ran…" Latvia's eyes started to flood with tears, a guilty expression taking over his features. "I-I l-left him, I-I-I-!"

Liechtenstein put a finger gently over his mouth, silencing him. "It's alright, you're safe, and I'm sure Estonia is, too." She gave him a small smile, trying to lift his spirits.

Latvia looked at her smile for a minute, and then he sniffed and smiled back, laughing mostly from exhaustion and relief. "Th-thank you…thank you, Liechten…"

"Of course, Latvia…" she smiled more. Then she frowned slightly when she looked at the large bloodstain on his shoulder. "Are you alright…?"

Latvia nodded. "Y-Yes, I'm fine, just fine, nothing to worry abo-!" He inhaled sharply when Liechtenstein gently touched his shoulder. She pulled back quickly. "Sorry!" She stood up. "Don't worry, I'll go get my brother. I'll be right back." She quickly dashed away.

Latvia opened his mouth to call her back, but thought better of it. There was really very little Liechtenstein could do for his wounds…physically…

He sighed as he stared up through the branches, blocking out the pain and fear, and thought about Liechtenstein…

"Brother! Brother!"

Switzerland looked over his shoulder to see Liechtenstein running towards him, shouting. He quickly stood up and ran to meet her, holding her arms when he reached her. "Are you alright? What's wrong?" He was slightly worried, although she didn't appear to be hurt…

His sister looked up at him, worry in her eyes. "It's Latvia, he's hurt, you have to come quickly!"

Switzerland stood still, staring back at her with a mildly surprised expression, which meant he was genuinely shocked. "…Latvia…? …Liechten, that's not our problem, you have nothing to do with him."

"But brother, please!"

"…"

"He's…he's…my friend…" she mumbled quietly as her gaze dropped.

This made Switzerland start a little bit, and he looked at his adopted sister for a long time, pondering over the situation. Liechtenstein waited quietly for his answer…

Finally, he sighed. "Alright, but we'll only make sure he can get home on his own. That's it," he said.

Liechtenstein looked back up at him and smiled. "Oh, thank you brother~!"

"Yes, now let's hurry," he ushered her gently. "Let's get this done quickly."

Liechtenstein nodded as Switzerland grabbed the first aid kit from the tent, and she quickly led her brother into the woods, following the same path she had taken before.

Latvia opened his eyes weakly when he heard voices approaching, recognizing them as Liechtenstein and Switzerland's. The branches of the bush sheltering him were pulled aside, and Switzerland knelt over him, looking over him quickly, making remarks about his injuries. He touched his shoulder gently, and brushed his fingers up and down it, finding the broken spots.

Switzerland told Liechtenstein to clean Latvia's face while he was bandaging him, and she nodded and obeyed, using a handkerchief to wipe away the dirt and blood.

As Switzerland removed Latvia's uniform, she shushed and reassured him when he gasped and groaned, smiling and talking to him. He smiled back whenever he could, knowing he probably looked ghastly, but he couldn't help it. Something about Liechtenstein made him feel light and relaxed, like he couldn't be hurt…

"Your shoulder blade is broken, maybe fractured a bit," Switzerland announced when he'd finished bandaging Latvia's shoulder. He watched as Liechtenstein continued to clean Latvia's face, and he looked down at the wounded country. "Can you walk?" he asked.

Latvia bit his lip then nodded. "Yeah, I think I can, I feel stronger now. Thank you." He smiled.

Switzerland looked at him, and then turned to his sister. "It's time to go." She looked at him sadly, and then nodded quietly, lowering her gaze. Switzerland felt pity, and he stood up, saying, "Say goodbye, Liechten, I'll be over here." He started to turn, and then he doubled back and looked at Latvia seriously. "This never happened," he said, looking at him straight in the eyes. Latvia blinked before the idea hit him, and he nodded. "Right. I got it." Being neutral countries, Switzerland didn't want anyone to know that he had helped one side of a dispute. Switzerland nodded back before turning away again. He walked away a bit, not too far, but far enough not to listen in on their conversations.

Latvia smiled at Liechtenstein. "Thank you, really, I-I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come along. I really appreciate it." He tried to sit up, leaning heavily on his uninjured shoulder. Liechtenstein watched him, and smiled when he was sitting up. He smiled back, feeling happier than before.

Liechtenstein asked him, "Can you stand? Or do you need help?"

Latvia shook his head. "No, I'm fine, I got it." Leaning against the tree next to him, he pulled himself up, straightening himself as best he could. "Ha, there, see? All better…" He laughed quietly. Liechtenstein looked at him for a second before she glanced sideways at her brother, who was turned the other way. Standing on her toes, she pecked Latvia's cheek and slipped something into his hand before quickly running off, and she and her brother started to make their way through the forest back to camp.

Latvia stood, silent and blushing, wondering what just happened, before looking down in his hand at the think she had slipped him. Smiling, he held up a dirty handkerchief, embroidered on one corner with the letter "L". He looked back at the two receding figures before tucking the handkerchief into his pocket, turning the other way, and slowly starting the journey back to the house.


End file.
